Unbalance correcting system for use in laundry machines



Jan. 10, 1961 M. F. METZGER UNBALANCE CORRECTING SYSTEM FOR USE INLAUNDRY MACHINES .3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1959 INVENTOR METZGERMPW H l S ATTORNEY 1961 M. F. METZGER 2,967,621

UNBALANCE CORRECTING SYSTEM FOR USE IN LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed D60. 9,1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IGZ 0 o o o 0 0 o INVENTOR.

MATT F. METZGER "wfw HIS ATTORNEY Jan. 10, 1961 M. F. METZGER 2,967,621

UNBALANCE CORRECTING SYSTEM FOR USE IN LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Dec. 9,1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MATT F. MET'ZGER H l 5 ATTORNEY UNBALANCE CORRECTING SYSTEM FOR USE IN LAUNDRY MACHINES Matt F. Metzger,Jeifersonville, Ind, assignorto General Electric Company, a corporationof New York Filed Dec. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 858,548

Claims. (Cl. 210-138) This invention relates to automatic laundrymachines of the type having a rotatable clothes basket which is rotatedat a relatively low speed to tumble the clothes in order to wash themand at a higher speed for centrifugal extraction of liquid from theclothes; more particularly, it relates to provision in such machines ofimproved means for providing a return to tumble speed when an excessiveunbalance is present during the high speed extraction operation, withthe low speed redistribution being then automatically followed by areturn to high speed.

Many domestic washing machines provide a centrifugal extraction ofliquid from wet clothes by means of a high speed rotation. It is mostdesirable in these machines to provide some type of safety device forcorrecting the situation when the clothes are so distributed in theclothes receptacle during high speed rotation that excessive unbalanceis present and vibrations harmful to the machine could result therefrom.A frequently used arrangement is to provide a member positioned to besensitive to vibrations so that it moves substantially in proportionthereto. When the vibrations attain a certain limit the movement of thesensing member is transmitted by a suitable device to actuate a switch.This in turn has provided both a return to the low tumble speed forredistribution of the clothes and has started a timing device which,upon the expiration of a predetermined period of time, both shuts itselfoil? and returns the unbalance sensing switch to its initial position torestart the high speed operation. In the past, the structure foreffecting the timing operation has generally been in a relativelyexpensive form such as a small synchronous motor which, while itprovides suitable operation, represents a substantial added cost in thestructure. Although it has long been recognized that it is desirable todecrease this expense without affecting the general operation of thedevice, known means of decreasing the expense, such as by using aheating cycle, have proved most difficult in practice since a heatingcycle invariably decreases substantially in length when repeated tripsof the unbalance switch occur (as may well happen). In such cases, ithas not been practical to use a heating arrangement because of the factthat the time for tumbling will become shorter to the extent whereredistributing tumbling may not even occur before the heating cycle isended.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to achieve an improvedsystem for providing a timed redistribution and then a return to highspeed in which a heating arrangement is used to effect the timing and inwhich the cycle is not appreciably shortened because of repeatedredistribution attempts.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a system of thetype described hereabove in which the timing, at least in part, iseffected during the cooling of a heating element from a high.temperature back to a lower temperature. It has been discovered thatthis varies relatively little and that what variation there is tends tocause an increase in the cycle time, which is acceptable, rather ratesatent than a decrease which may well prevent redistribution fromoccurring and thus is not acceptable.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is an object of theinvention to use both the heating and cooling cycles of the heatingarrangement to time out the redistribution period. In this particulartype of arrangement, the lengthening of the cooling offsets to someextent the shortening of the heating time upon repeated trips of theunbalance switch so that a virtually constant time period is obtained.

Yet another specific object of the invention, in a second embodimentthereof, is to achieve the desired goal by causing the redistributiontime to be controlled by the cooling cycle of the heating arrangementalone since, while this will not have the same degree of consistency asthe first embodiment, it will insure an adequate period of time forredistribution even if repeated trips do occur.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a laundry machine which hasa clothes receptacle rotatable on a non-vertical axis. Suitable meansare also provided for rotating the receptacle which include electricalspeed control means having an energized condition and an unenergizedcondition. One of the two conditions causes the receptacle to be rotatedat a low clothes-tumbling speed and the other of the conditions causesthe receptacle to be rotated at a high liquid-extraction speed. Theenergizing circuit for the control means includes a mechanical unbalanceswitch which is movable'from a first position to a second position whenunbalances during the high speed rotation cause undesirable vibrationsto occur. In combination with these components, which are conventionaland are present in the prior art, I provide resistance heating meanswith an energizing circuit therefore, and a heat sensitive membercontrolled by the heater means so as to assume a first position when theheater means reaches a high temperature and a second position when theheater means cools down to a lower temperature.

When the unbalance switch assumes its second position as a result ofvibrations occurring, the speed control means circuit causes the speedcontrol means to assume its first condition so as to decrease the speedfor clothes redistribution purposes; when both the heat sensitive memberand the unbalance switch are moved to their first positions the speedcontrol means circuit is in condition to cause the speed control meansto provide the high speed rotation once again. The heat sensitive memberand the unbalance switch cooperate to control completion of the heaterenergizing circuit and cause de-energization of the heater means inresponse to operation of the unbalance switch to its second position. Inaddition, movement of the heat sensitive member from one of itspositions to the other causes it to engage the unbalance switch and moveit to its first position. Also, when the heater means is de-energized(as a result of the operation of the unbalance switch to its secondposition) it cools and causes a consequent movement of the heater switchat a later time back to its first position. This sequence causes boththe heater switch and the unbalance switch to have been moved back totheir first positions after redistribution has proceeded for apredetermined period, thereby to cause the redistribution low speed tobe terminated and the high speed to be resumed. It can be seen that byproper interaction of the differ ent components, it has been madepossible to use a simple heater control thereby to replace thepreviously used means such as a synchronous motor, thereby effecting asubstantial decrease in the cost of the system without losing anyeffectiveness in the system.

The features of my invention which I believe to be novel are set forthwith particularity in the appended, claims. My invention, however, maybest be understood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevationalview of a domestic laundry machineshowing vibration sensing means for transmitting movement to a switch inaccordance with my invention, certain surfaces of the view being brokenaway in order to better illustrate certain details;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the machine of Figure 1with the side panel removed, the view being partially in section andhaving certain surfaces broken away to illustrate certain details;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of drive means which may be includedin the machine;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of myimproved unbalance sensing and redistribution timing arrangement, theview showing schematically a control circuit suitable for use in amachine embodying my arrangement; and

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of myimproved unbalance device, the view showing schematically a controlcircuit used in the machine.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, I have shown my invention in one formas applied to a domestic laundry machine 1 comprising a combinationwasher and dryer. The machine 1 includes an outer cabinet 2 which ismounted on a supporting base structure 3. Access to the machine forloading and unloading of clothes is provided by a hinged door 4 disposedin the front wall of the cabinet. A backsplasher 5, mounted at the topof the cabinet, serves as a mounting means for suitable operatorcontrols for the machine. These controls may, for example, comprise therotatable dials 6 and 7 and the pushbuttons 8.

The machine 1 is of the type which includes a clothes basket rotatabeabout a non-vertical axis; specifically, referring to Figure 2, itincludes a perforated basket 9 which is disposed for rotation about agenerally horizontal axis. The basket 9 is mounted within an imperforatetube structure 10 which encloses it on all sides. The basket isrotatably supported from the tub structure by a horizontally extendingshaft 11 which is mounted in an elongated bearing 12 hung from the rearwall 13 of the tub structure. The shaft 11, as well as supporting thebasket, also serves as a means'for turning it during operation of themachine. The tub and basket are provided, respectively, with openings 14and 15 in the front walls thereof, with the openings being aligned withthe door opening in the front wall of the cabinet 2 so that clothes maybe placed into orremoved from the basket. The door 4 seals against agasket 16 around the tub opening 14 to close off the tub completelyduring operation of the machine.

Tub 10 is supported from base 3 by means of a plurality of brackets orarms 17 which are mounted on an upstanding plate 18 fixedly attached tothe base 3. Four of these arms 17 are provided, two of them beingsecured to each side of the tub. The arms on the opposite sides of thetub are spaced'apart so that the tub in effect is supported near itsfront and near its rear on each side thereof. Although the arms 17 canbe secured directly to the wall of tub 10, preferably, and as shown, thearms 17 are attached thereto by means of suitable brackets 19. With thetub 10 supported in the manner shown, it is caused to vibrate sidewaysin a plane parallel to the front of the machine if the basket 9 shouldbe unbalanced during high speed rotation thereof. The arms 17 arerelatively long compared to their width, and they flex so as to allowslight sideways vibration of the tub relative to the base 3. However,the arms 17 are effective substantially to prevent vibration of the tubboth from front to rear and in the vertical direction since they are notat all flexible in these directions. As is more fully explainedhereinafter, I provide means for sensing the amount of sidewaysvibration thereby to prevent that vibration from ever becoming greatenough to damage the machine or to cause it to move on the floor.

Referring now particularly to Figure 4, and also to Figures 2 and 3,during the operation of the machine the basket 11 is driven from anelectric motor 20. The drive from the motor to the basket includes apulley 21 which is secured to the motor shaft so as to rotate therewithand over which passes a belt 22 driving an adjustable sheave assembly23. The adjustable sheave assembly includes a shaft 24 to which arerigidly secured sheave plates 25 and 26. An intermediate sheave plate 27is keyed on the shaft 24 so as to be movable along the shaft to varyingdistances from sheave plates 25 and 26. It will be observed (Figure 2)that sheave plate 25 has a sloping surface 28 which in cooperation witha sloping surface 29 on movable sheave plate 27 forms a groove 30 ofadjustable width. Similarly, onitsother side movable sheave plate 27 isprovided with a sloping surface 31 which cooperates with a slopingsurface 32 on rigidly secured sheave plate 26-to form a second groove 33of adjustable width.

Since belt 22 has a predetermined width, it can be seen that movement ofsheave plate 27 relative to sheave plate 25 will-cause the belt 22 toseat in groove 30 at a distance from the center of shaft 24 which isdetermined by the distance of sheave plate 27 from sheave plate 25. Thelinear speed of belt 22 is constant, assuming the speed of motor 20 tobe substantially constant, and therefore the rotational speed of theadjustable sheave assembly 23 is determined by the sheave diameterprovided by the cooperation of sheave plates 25 and 27. When the sheaveplates 25 and 27 are in the position shown in the figures, sheaveassembly 23 is rotating at a relatively low speed. When sheave plate 27is moved to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, away from sheave plate 25,then belt 22 will move inwardly toward shaft 24 as groove 30 widens andwill cause a greater rotational speed of the sheave assembly 23 for agiven rotational speed of pulley 21 by motor 20.

A second belt 34 is driven in groove 33 by the cooperation of sheaveplates 27 and 26. When adjustable sheave plate 27 is in the positionshown so that groove 33 is quite wide, belt 34 has to move in radiallytoward the shaft 24 a substantial amount before it seats on the surfaces31 and 32 of sheave plates 27 and 26 respectively. This means that for agiven rotational speed of the adjustable sheave assembly 23 (as impartedto it by belt 22), belt 34 will be travelling at a relatively low rateof linear speed. If sheave plate 27 is moved to the left so that belt 34is forced outwardly in groove 33, then for a given rotationalspeed ofthe sheave assembly a relatively high linear speed ofbelt 34 isprovided. Thus, by controlling the position of sheave plate 27, aninfinite variety of speeds between the two limits of the position of thesheave plates may be provided, with the arrangement shown in Figures 2and 3 providing the lowest output speed to belt 34 since belt 22 iscausing a low speed of rotation of sheave assembly 23 and rotation ofthe sheave assembly 23 is causing the lowest linear speed of belt 34.The highest rate of speed will be provided if sheave plate 27 is movedas far as possible to the left: this will provide the highest rotationalspeed of the assembly 23 for a given linear speed of belt 22, and thehighest output linear speed of belt 34 for a given rotational speed ofassembly 23.

Belt 34 passes over a sheave 35 which forms a unitary assembly with asheave 36 driving a belt 37. Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen thatbelt 37 drives a sheave 38 which is rigidly secured to the end of shaft11 so as to rotate the basket 9.

Referring now particularly to Figure 3, an arm 39 is secured to one endof the shaft 24 and a spring 40 has one end secured to the arm andtheother endsecured to' the base of the machine so as to bias the assemblyto the right a'sviewed in Figure 3. Also, secured to the arm 39 is achain member 41 which at its other end is secured to a pulley 42operated through a small electric motor and gear assembly 43. It will beseen that when pulley 42 is caused to rotate by assembly 43 it will windup chain 41 and pull the arm 39 to move the entire adjustable sheaveassembly to the left as viewed in Figure 3. Since belt 22 cannotstretch, it will be apparent that when this occurs belt 22 will moveinwardly within groove 30 forcing sheave 27 to the left (as viewed inFigure 2) to effect an increase in the speed transmitted to the sheave38 and basket 9. When motor and gear assembly 43 is shut ofi, the spring40 overcomes the motor and gear assembly and pulls the adjustable sheave23 back to the position shown in the figures to reduce the speed. Themotor and gear assembly 43 is of the type which can, without adverseelfect, remain energized although stalled; this has the result that highspeed operation is maintained only as long as energization of the motor43 continues.

The proportioning of the various parts of the drive assembly abovedescribed is such as to provide an appropriate range of speeds. Forinstance, when the parts are in the positions shown, and when thediameter of the basket 9 is on the order of 26 inches, a tumbling speedof approximately 47 r.p.m. may be provided to the basket,

while in the other extreme position a suitable liquid extractioncentrifuging speed, such as, for instance, 250 r.p.m. may be provided.This transmission arrangement is not a part of my invention, and is inconventional use on machines commercially produced and marketed by theassignee of my invention.

Machine 1 is provided with suitable water supply and water drain meanswhich, since they form no part of the present invention, are notillustrated herein. In addition, suitable means for effecting heatingduring the drying portion of the cycle which may, in the combinationwasherdryer, follow a centrifugal extraction operation, are provided. Inthe present machine, this includes a heater assembly 44 mounted withinthe upper portion of tub so that when energized heater 44 heats thebasket 9. When the heaters are energized, the heat transfererd to theclothes basket is then passed on to the clothes to cause vapor migrationout of the clothes. Since the outer cylindrical wall of the basket isperforated by a substantial number of small spaced openings 45, there isalso some heat from the elements which passes directly to the clothes byradiation.

The complete operation of the machine normally provides a washingperiod, a draining of the washing liquid, and one or more rinses, allconducted at 47 r.p.rn., a cen trifugal liquid extraction operation at250 r.p.rn., and if desired, a drying period at 47 r.p.m. Whilevariations of the sequence may be provided, it will be understood thatthe described sequence is typical and is provided by standard controlapparatus in the usual manner.

Referring now particularly to Figure 4 for a descripr tion of myinvention, it will be recalled that tub 10 as it is mounted vibrates inresponse to an unbalanced load in the basket when the basket is rotatingat high speed. This unbalance is transmitted from a projecting member 46secured to the basket, through a motion transmittal mechanism generallyindicated at 47 (fully described in Patent 2,823,208 issued to A. M.Stone on April 29, 1958 and assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention), to an unbalance switch mechanism 48 having a projectingmember of button 49 which is depressed in response to motion transmittedto it from tub 10 during excessive vibration.

Turning now to the e ectrical circuitry in Figure 4, it will be seenthat the entire control system may be energized from a suitable sourceof power (not shown) through a pair of supply lines 50 and 51. Aconvention 211 sequence control mechanism 52 is connected across the twosupply lines and controls all the other electrical elements of themachine, most of which are not shown in the drawings since they do notpertain to the invention.

It will be observed that drive motor 20 is connected through the control52 so that its energization is controlled thereby. Control 52 includes,among others, a timer switch 53 which controls the connection ofconductor 51 to a conductor 54. Conductor 54 leads to a bimetallicelement 55 mounted on a bracket 56a secured to the base of the machine.At the free end of element 55 there is a contact 56 which is engageablewith a stationary contact 57 connected by a conductor 58 to the speedcontrolling motor assembly 43. Assembly 43 is then in turn connected byconductor 59 to contact 60 of switch 48. The switch 48 further includesa movable contact arm 61 which, in response to depression of a button62, moves to the position shown and stays there until button 49 isdepressed at which point the arm 61 is then moved over into engagementwith a contact 63'and button 62 is moved to an outer position. Thecontact arm 61 then remains in engagement with contact 63 until button62 is depressed again. The button 62 is so located relative to thebimetallic element 55 that when the element is heated to a certainpredetermined temperature it depresses the button 62 and when it coolsagain to a second lower predetermined temperature contacts 56 and 57engage. The contact arm 61 is directly connected to conductor 50 asshown. The contact 63 is connected to a resistance heating coil 64 whichis positioned so as to be in heat transfer relationship to thebimetallic element 55. As shown, this may be effected by wrapping thecoil around the element. The other end of the coil is connected to aconductor 65 through the bimetal element itself.

In operation, the machine of Figures 1 and 2 proceeds through a normalwashing operation and, at the end of the last rinsing operation when itis time to provide a centrifuging operation, sequence control 52 causescontact 53 to connect conductors 5l'and 54. With the parts in theposition shown, that is, with contact arm 61 in engagement with contact60 because button 62 has been the last one depressed and button 49 is inits extended position, an energizing circuit for motor 43 is completedfrom conductor 54 through the bimetal element 55, contacts 56 and 57,conductor 58, the motor 43, conductor .projecting button 49 and depressit. As explained, this moves the contact arm 61 over into engagementwith contact 63 and out of engagement with contact 66, at the same timecausing button 62 to move out to its extended position closely adjacentthe bimetal element. This action opens the energizing circuit for motor43.

The de-energization of motor 43 causes the basket rotation to slow downto tumble speed whereby the clothes are redistributed by the tumblingaction. in addition, the engagement of contact arm 61 with contact 63establishes an energizing circuit for heater coil 64 which extends fromconductor 50 through contact arm 61, con

tact 63, the heater coil 64, bimetallic element 55, conductor 54, switch53, and conductor 51. With the heater coil thus energized through thecircuit described, it starts to heat up and, because of its physicaladjacency to bimetal element 55, in so doing it'heats the bimetalelement. When the bimetal reaches a predetermined high temperaturethe'free end thereof deforms by bending to the left. This actionseparates contacts 56 and 57 and depresses button 62 so that contact arm6-1 is'moved overinto engagement with contact 60 and button 49 is pushedout to its extended position. The movement of the contact arm 61completes the connection from conductor '50 to contact 60, but sincecontacts 56 and 57 are separated the energizing circuit for the motor 43is still notcomplete and it remains de-energized with tumbling continuiing. Also, the movement of the contact arm 61 opens the heaterenergizing circuit so that the heater element starts to cool; this, ofcourse, also caus'es the bimetal element 55 to cool.

When it cools to a predetermined temperature the bimetal element movesback to the position shown in which it separates itself from button 62and in which contacts 56 and 57 are again in engagement. The button 62of course remains depressed. The re-engagement of contacts 56 and 57once again completes theenergizing circuit for motor 43 so that thespeed then increases to efiect the centrifuging operation.

It will be observed at this point that the button 49 and the bimetalelement 55 are back in their original positions each one having movedaway from its original position and then back to it. It will further beobserved that the movement of the unbalance switch 48 back to itsoriginal position is effected by the movement of the bimetal element 55to a second position (as opposed to its first position in which contacts56 and 57 are in engagement). If now there should be repeated trips ofthe machine (because the load being washed is one which is particularlydifficult to balance) a repetition of the sequence just described willtake place. It will be recognized that, because of the thermal mass ofthe elements of the machine, for each trip it will take a shorter timefor the temperature to rise to the point where bimetal element 55 ismoved to its second position. However, by the same token, a somewhatlonger time is taken to cool so that the total time remainsapproximately the same. Thus, a substantially constant length of time isobtained for the redistribution period subsequent to an unbalance trip,the timing function being effected by the heating and cooling of thebimetal element as influenced by the heater coil 64.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a second embodiment of theinvention in which like parts are referred to by like numerals.Conductor 54 connects with a contact arm 65a having a contact 66engageable with a contact 67 secured on a movable contact arm 68.Contact arm 68 in turn is connected to motor 43 which is then connectedon its other side to the conductor 50. The position of arm 68 iscontrolled by a movable member or slide button 69 having an end 70engageable in the same manner as button 49 was engaged in connectionwith Figure 4. When excessive vibration causes member 46 to pushassembly 47 over, the assembly engages end 70 of the button and slidesit to the right. This movement causes the button to engage slopingportion 71 of contact arm 68 which then forces the contact arm up toseparate contact 66 from contact 67. The button 69 may be caused toremain in this position by suitable means such as a small detent 71awhich is held by a flexible member 71b with sufficient force to preventaccidental movement of button 69. Member 71b contact 74 secured near thefree end of a bimetallic ale ment 75. The bimetallic element in turn isconnected at point 76 to a heating coil 77 directly connected at itsother end to conductor 50. A resistor 78 is connected at one end to thebimetal element 75 and the heating coil 77, and at its other end tocontact arm 68. A further feature of the bimetal 75 is a downwardlyextending projection 79 formed at the end thereof which engages acamming surface 80 on member 69. This arrangement prevents the member 69from being moved to the right when the bimetal is in the position shown;however, when the bimetal deforms so that the free end moves upwardlythe member 69 may then be moved to the right. When this is done, it willseparate contact 66 from contact 67 as described. When the member 69 hasbeen moved to the .rightand' the bimetal is al- .its-end 79 with camsurface 80, cause the member 69 to be moved back to the left to itsunactuated position and this action will at the same time permitreclosing of contacts 66 and 67 by the spring action of contact arm 68.

In operation, the machine 1 proceeds as before through the appropriatewashing and rinsing steps at tumbling speed and then, when centrifugingis desired, switch 53 is closed. This completes a circuit, starting atconductor 50, through motor 43, contact arm 68, contacts 67 and 66,contact arm 65a, conductor 54, switch 53 and con ductor 51. Theresulting energization of motor 43 through this circuit effects highspeed centrifuging as previously described. At the same time, a circuitis completed from conductor to heater coil, bimetal element 75, contacts74and 73, contact arm 72, conductor 54 and switch 53 to conductor 51.The heater coil is thus energized across the full line current and in avery brief period of time heats the bimetal enough to cause it to openthereby separating contacts 73 and 74. Experience has shown that thismay readily be effected in a matter of two or three seconds.

The openings of contacts 73 and 74 still leaves an alternate heatingcircuit for the bimetal element which passes from conductor 50 throughthe heater 77, resistance 78, contact arm 68, contacts 67 and "66,contact arm a, conductor 54 and switch 53 to conductor 51. This morelimited currentbecause of the series relationship of resistor 78 andcoil 77-is effective to maintain the bimetal in its tripped positionwith contacts 73 and 74 opened and with end 79 of the bimetal raised andout of the way of the button member 69 should it be pushed to the right.As a result, if there should be a trip by virtue of movement of member69 to the right because of the vibrations transmitted from tub 10, themember 69 engages end 71 of arm 65a to separate contacts 66 and 67. Thisthen opens the circuit to the motor 43, and since motor 43 is thendeenergized the basket speed returns toward tumble to permitredistribution of the clothes.

The opening of contacts 66 and 67 also opens the i alternate energizingcircuit for heater coil 77. Since contacts 73 and 74 are also open theheater coil is deenergized and the bimetal element starts to cool. Whenit reaches a predetermined low temperature the bimetal element engagesmember 69 and cams it to the left back into its first position. Thismovement of member 69 permits contacts 66 and 67 to re-engage. Thebimetal is then rapidly heated by the heater element 77 once more sincecontacts 73 and 74 are engaged. The bimetal is actuated at thepredetermined high temperature out of the path of member 69 and thearrangement is then ready for another trip action. It will readily beobserved that in this structure the same basic feature of utilizing thecooling time of an element is used for insuring an adequate period ofredistribution of the clothes and its automatic return to high speedthereafter. Again, it is the movement of the bimetal element from oneposition to the other which causes the resetting of the unbalance switchwhich-in this second embodiment includes member 69 and contacts 66 and67.

It will be noted that in the embodiment of Figure 5 the main heatercircuit may be omitted if the alternate circuit provesto move thebimetal out of the path of member 69 fast enough, and in that event thecontacts 73 and 74 may be omitted, the bimetal then acting on y as aheat sensitive control member rather than a switch.

It will be seen from the foregoing that both embodiments of my inventionprovide the desired result of effecting, through a highly economicalbimetal and heater arrangement, a suitable timing sequence to provide anadequate period of redistribution for clothes in the machine 1 followedautomatically by another attempt at high speed rotation of the basket.It will further be 9 seen that both arrangements utilize the coolingtime of the bimetal to insure this adequate period of time; the firstembodiment described utilizes both the heating and the cooling timewhile the last embodiment described utilizes the heating time alone.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have described what atpresent are considered to be the preferred embodiments of my invention,it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications, including but not limited to those mentioned above, maybe made therein without departing from the invention, and I thereforeaim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modificationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a laundry machine: a clothes receptacle rotatableon a non-verticalaxis; means for rotating said receptacle including electrical speedcontrol means having an energized condition and an unenergizedcondition; an energizing circuit for said speed control means, saidrtating means rotating said receptacle at a low clothes tumbling speedwhen said control means is in one of said conditions and rotating saidreceptacle at a high liquid extraction speed when said control means isin the other of said conditions; an unbalance switch in said circuitmovable from a first position to a second position upon a predeterminedmagnitude of receptacle unbalance vibration resulting from high speedrotation; resistance heater means; an energizing circuit for said heatermeans; heat sensitive means controlled by said heater means having afirst position when said heater means is at a lower temperature and asecond position when said heater means is at a higher temperature; saidspeed control means circuit causing said speed control means to assumesaid one condition thereof when said unbalance switch assumes saidsecond position and to assume said other condition when said heatsensitive means and said unbalance switch both move to their firstpositions, said heat sensitive means and said unbalance switchcooperatively controlling completion of said heater energizing circuitand causing de-energiza-tion of said heater means in response tooperation of said unbalance switch to said second position thereof,movement of said heat sensitive means from one of its positions to theother causing it to engage said unbalance switch and move said unbalanceswitch to said first position thereof, the de-energization of saidheater means causing cooling thereof and a consequent movement of saidheat sensitive means to said first position thereof whereby both saidunbalance switch and said heat sensitive means are eventually returnedto their respective first positions.

2. In a laundry machine: a clothes receptacle rotatable on anon-vertical axis; means for rotating said receptacle includingelectrical speed control means having an energized condition and anunenergized condition; an energizing circuit for said speed controlmeans, said rotating means rotating said receptacle at a low clothestumbling speed when said control means is in an unenergized conditionand rotating said receptacle at a high liquid extraction speed when saidcontrol means is energized; an unbalance switch in said circuit movablefrom a first position to a second position upon a predeterminedmagnitude of receptacle unbalance vibration resulting from high speedrotation; resistance heater means; an energizing circuit for said heatermeans; heat sensitive means controlled by said heater means having afirst position when said heater means is at a lower temperature and asecond position when said heater means is at a higher temperature; saidspeed control means circuit being opened when said unbalance switchassumes said second position and being completed when said unbalanceswitch and said heat sensitive means both move to their first positions,said heat sensitive means and said unbalance switch cooperativelycontrolling completion of said heater energizing circuit and causingdeenergization of said heater means in response to operation of saidunbalance switch to said second position thereof, movement of said heatsensitive means from one of its positions to the other causing it toengage said unbalance switch and move said unbalance switch to saidfirst position thereof, the de-energization of said heater means causingcooling thereof and a consequent movement of said heat sensitive meansto said first position thereof whereby both said unbalance switch andsaid heat sensitive means are eventually returned to their respectivefirst positions.

3. In a laundry machine: a clothes receptacle rotatable on anon-vertical axis; means for rotating said receptacle includingelectrical speed control means having an energized condition and anunenergized condition; an energizing circuit for said speed controlmeans, said rotating means rotating said receptacle at a low clothestumbling speed when said control means is unenergized and rotating saidreceptacle at a high liquid extraction speed when said control means isenergized; an unbalance switch in said circuit movable from a firstposition to a second position upon a predetermined magnitude ofreceptacle unbalance vibration resulting from high speed rotation;resistance heater means; an energizing circuit for said heater means; aheater switch controlled by said heater means having a first positionwhen said heater means is at a lower temperature and a second positionwhen said heater means is at a higher temperature; said unbalance switchin said second position thereof opening said speed/control meanscircuit, said unbalance switch and said heater switch in theirrespective first positions completing said speed control meansenergizing circuit, said unbalance switch controlling completion of saidheater energizing circuit and completing the same when in its secondposition, said heater switch being mechanically linked to said.unbalance switch to move said unbalance switch to said first positionthereof at a predetermined high temperature whereby movement of saidheater switch to said second position in response to energization andheating of said heater means causes it to engage said unbalance switchand move said unbalance switch to said first position thereof, thede-energization of said heater means resulting from movement of saidunbalance switch to said first position thereof causing cooling of saidheater means and a consequent movement of said heater switch to saidfirst position thereof whereby both said unbalance switch and saidheater switch are eventually returned to their respective firstpositions.

4. In a laundry machine: a clothes receptacle rotatable on anon-vertical axis; means for rotating said receptacle includingelectrical speed control means having an energized condition and anunenergized condition; an energizing circuit for said speed controlmeans, said rotating means rotating said receptacle at a low clothestumbling speed when said control means is unenergized and rotating saidreceptacle at a high liquid extraction speed when said control means isenergized; an unbalance switch in said circuit movable from a firstposition to a second position upon a predetermined magnitude ofreceptacle unbalance vibration resulting from high speed rotation;resistance heater means; an energizing circuit for said heater means; aheater switch controlled by said heater means having a first positionwhen said heater means is at a lower temperature and a second positionwhen said heater means is at a higher temperature, said heater switchbeing positioned to mechanically engage said unbalance switch so as tomove said unbalance switch from said second position to said firstposition when said heater switch moves to said first position; saidunbalance switch in said second position thereof opening said speedcontrol means circuit and completing said speed control means energizingcircuit when in said first .position thereof, saidunbalance switch andsaid heater switch cooperatively controlling completion of said heaterenergizing circuit, said heater means being energized when at least oneof said unbalance switch and said heater switch is in said firstposition thereof andbeing de-energized when said unbalance switch andsaid heater switch are both in said second positions thereof, saidheater switch moving to said second position thereof in response toenergization of said heater means, de-energization of said heater meansin response to movement of said unbalance switch to said second positionthereof causing cooling of said heater means and a consequent movementof said heater switch to said first position thereof, movement of saidheater switch to said first position thereof moving said unbalanceswitch back to said first position thereof thereby to complete saidspeed control means energizing circuit.

5. In a laundry machine: a clothes receptacle rotatable on anon-vertical axis; means for rotating said receptacle includingelectrical speed control means having an energized condition and anunenergized condition; an

energizing circuit for said speed control means, said rotating meansrotating said receptacle at a low clothes tumbling speed when saidcontrol means is unenergized and rotating said receptacle at a highliquid extraction speed when said control means is energized; anunbalance switch in said circuit movable from a first position to asecond position upon a predetermined magnitude of receptacle unbalancevibration resulting from high speed rotation; resistance heater means;an energizing circuit 30 i for said heater means; heat sensitive meanscontrolled by said heater means having a first position when said heatermeans is at a lower temperature and a second position when said heatermeans is at a higher temperature, said heat sensitive means beingpositioned to mechanically engage said unbalance switch so as to movesaid unbalance switch from said second position to said first positionwhen said heat sensitive means moves to said first position; saidunbalance switch in said second position thereof deenergizing said speedcontrol means circuit and completing said speed control means circuitwhen in said first position thereof, said unbalance switch controllingcompletion of said heater energizing circuit, said heater means beingenergized when said unbalance switch is in said first position thereofand being de-energized when said unbalance switch is in said secondposition thereof, said heat sensitive means moving to said secondposition thereof in response to energization of said heater,de-energization of said heater means in response to movement of saidunbalance switch to said second position thereof causing cooling thereofand a consequent movement of said heat sensitive means to said firstposition thereof, movement of said heat sensitive means to said firstposition thereof moving said unbalance switch back to said firstposition thereof thereby to complete said speed control means energizingcircuit.

Hurley et al. Feb. 16, 1943 Bassett Feb. 23, 1943

